Sleep preventing alarm



Sept. 18, 1962 E. PHILLIANS SLEEP PREVENTING ALARM Filed March 50, 1959Edward Phil/fans INVENTOR. aorfizm Patented Sept. 18, 1962 3,054,868SLEEP PREVENTING ALARM Edward Phillians, 763 E. 3rd St., Apt. 1, SaltLake City, Utah Filed Mar. 30, 1959, Ser. No. 802,805 3 Claims. (Cl.200-52) This invention relates generally to alarm devices and moreparticularly to a sleep preventing alarm device specifically adapted tobe utilized by vehicle operators to prevent them from falling asleepwhile driving.

We are continually being reminded of the significant toll on lives takenthrough highway accidents. In many instances, of course, the accidentsare due to mechanical deficiencies of the vehicles but, more often theaccidents are due to careless driving. Often, the operator of a vehiclewill continue to drive despite feeling drowsy and due to a momentarylapse of alertness, will become involved in, perhaps, a fatal collision.The development of a device which would keep the driver alert and whichwould not hinder his normal driving would be beneficial and clearlywould act as a safety precaution which would undoubtedly result in thesaving of lives caused by vehicle accidents. Accordingly, it is theprincipal object of this invention to provide a novel alarm deviceadapted to be utilized by vehicle operators for maintaining saidoperators in an awake condition.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a novel alarm devicewhich greatly adds to safety on the highways and further may beconveniently worn so as not to detract or impede normal driving.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a novel alarmdevice which is simple in construction and may be manufactured at aminimum of cost.

In accordance with the above stated objects, below is particularlydescribed the construction and utilization of the novel alarm deviceforming the subject matter of this application. Initially, the deviceincludes an outside cylindrical sleeve having a hook thereon enablingthe sleeve to be attached to the drivers clothing proximate his chin.Slidably received within the outside sleeve is an inner cylindricalsleeve. The relative positioning between the outside sleeve and thesleeve received therein may be adjusted due to the frictional engagementtherebetween. A first fixed terminal is supported adjacent the top ofthe inner sleeve and a second resiliently movable terminal is alsosupported adjacent the top of the inner sleeve, above the fixedterminal. A chin contact disc is fixed to the movable terminal.Electrical conductors. are connected to each of the first fixed terminaland second movable terminal and extend, preferably, to the horn circuitof the vehicle. It is contemplated that the electrical conductors beplaced in parallel with the normally open switch in the conventionalhorn circuit, so that when the chin of the driver drops so as to contactthe chin disc for closing the gap between the second movable terminaland the first fixed terminal, the normally open switch in the horncircuit will be shorted. Of course, the conventional horn circuit willthen be actuated and the driver will be alerted. Therefore, it is seenthat the driver of an automobile, upon becoming drowsy, will let hischin drop and eyes close. However, when his chin drops, the first andsec ond terminals will close so as to actuate the horn or any audiblealarm to awaken him. It will be seen hereinafter that the device may beconstructed of a size so that it may be conveniently Worn withoutimpeding the normal driving habits.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accom- 2 panying drawings forming a part hereof,wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view illustrating the device being utilizedby a driver;

FIGURE 2 is an elevational plan view of the alarm device comprising thisinvention; and

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along the plane 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

With continuing reference to the drawings, the numeral .10 generallyrepresents the alarm device comprising this invention and includinginitially a cylindrical outside sleeve 12. It is preferably that thesleeve be of a light insulative material as plastic. Fixed to the sleeve\12 is a hook 14 comprising a first leg portion 16 and a second legportion 18 connected by a bight portion 20.

Frictionally received within the sleeve 12 is an inner sleeve, alsocylindrical, 22. The sleeve 22 is flanged as at 24- at the bottom endthereof. The flange 24 extends both inwardly and outwardly of thediameter of the inner sleeve 22. Accordingly, a small aperture 26 isdefined therethrough.

A first fixed terminal 28 including a pair of perpendicular leg portions30 and 32 is disposed adjacent the upper end of inner sleeve 22. The legportion 32 extends into the sleeve 22 adjacent a first insulative member34. A rivet 36 extends through the first insulative member 34 anddepending leg 32, through the inner sleeve 22 and is retained outwardlythereof by enlarged portion 38. Received on the rivet 36 is electricalconductor 40 having an insulative coating 42.

A second terminal 44 is illustrated as having a first leg 46 and asecond leg 48. The second leg 48 extends into the inner sleeve 22between a second insulative member 50. A rivet 52 fastens the leg 48between the second insulative member 50 and the inner sleeve 22. Theenlarged portion 54 of rivet 52 secures the rivet in place. Anelectrical conductor 56 having an insulative coating 58 is connected tothe rivet 52 as illustrated.

As will be particularly noted in FIGURE 2, the first and secondinsulative members 36 and 50 form chords of the circle defined by theinner sleeve 22.

A chin contact disc, which may be of insulative material, 60 is fixed tothe terminal portion of leg 46 of second terminal 44. It is to be notedthat the leg 46 is somewhat resilient so that the leg 46 may bendrelative to the leg 48. A depending conductive projection 62 iselectrically in contact with the leg 46. It will be noted in FIGURE 3that the second terminal 44 overlies the first terminal 28. Keeping inmind that the leg 46 of the second terminal 44 is resilient, it will benoted that pressure on the chain contact disc 60 will move the leg 46downwardly so that projection 62 will contact leg 30 of the firstterminal 28. Inasmuch as the terminals 44 and 28 and the rivets .52 and36 are all electrically conductive, it will be noted that a closedcircuit will be formed from conductor 56 through terminal 44 throughprojection 62 through terminal 28 to conductor 40.

In the utilization of this invention, a driver 64 may hook the alarmdevice 10 to an article of clothing 66 as is illustrated in FIGURE 1. Ofcourse, the chin disc 60 should be positioned so that it liesimmediately beneath the chin 68 of driver 64. The electrical conductors56 and 40 passing through the aperture 26 and flange 24 are containedwithin insulative sleeve 70 which extends toward the steering column 72.Electrical conductors 56 and 40 may terminal in male prongs 74 and 76which are received in a female receptacle in the column 72. Theconventional horn circuit of the vehicle, or for that matter any audiblealarm may be utilized in conjunction with the device. Assuming, that theconventional horn circuit is utilized, the male prongs 74 and 76 areelectrically connected in parallel with the normally open switch in theconventional horn circuit. Accordingly, when the driver 64 becomesdrowsy, his chin 68 will fall and contact chin contact 60 so as to closethe circuit between male prongs 74 and 76 to short the normally openswitch in the horn circuit. Apparently, then, the horn will be actuatedand the driver 64 will be awakened and accordingly an accident may beavoided. In closing, it is to be noted that the sleeve 22 is adjustablein the sleeve 12 for allowing proper positioning of chin contact disc 60relative to chain 68.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A switch for actuating a sleep preventing alarm, said switchcomprising a vertically elongated housing, means for attaching saidhousing to the person of a user below the chin, a pair of L-shapedmetallic members disposed in juxtaposed relation and including a pair ofspaced adjacent arms extending into the upper end portion of saidhousing and a second Pair of spaced adjacent arms projecting laterallyfrom the housing, means electrically insulating the first pair of armsin the housing, one of the arms in the second pair being resilientlymovable toward and away from the other arm to respectively close andopen the switch, and a chin engaging pressure pad provided on themovable arm, said housing including a pair of slidably telescopedsections, one of said sections carrying said pair of metallic membersand the other section carrying said attaching means, whereby theposition of said pressure pad relative to the attaching means may beadjusted.

2. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said attaching meanscomprise an inverted hook secured to said other section.

3. A switch for actuating a sleep preventing alarm, said switch beingadapted to be attached to the person of a user below the chin andcomprising in combination, a vertically elongated housing includingfirst and second slidably telescoped sections, an inverted hook providedon the first of said sections for attaching the housing to the person ofa user below the chin, a switch unit carried by the second housingsection and including a depressible switch element disposed at the upperend of the housing, and a chin engaging pressure pad provided on saiddepressible element in upwardly spaced relation from said hook, theupward spacing of said pressure pad from said hook being adjustable bysliding said housing sections relative to each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,066,092 Brown Dec. 29, 1936 2,447,753 Hellman Aug. 24, 1948 2,584,548Calissi Feb. 5, 1952 2,711,528 Glossbrenner June 21, 1955 2,747,038Perkovich May 27, 1956 2,842,628 James July 8, 1958 2,916,572 UlanetDec. 8, 1959

